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Offshore news !

Vanuatu To Join The World’s Optical Fibre Internet Backbone

As part of the Government Vanuatu’s commitment to encourage the development of e-business and IT infra- structure, the Vanuatu Government has thrown it’s full support behind the current Joint Venture project between Interchange Limited, a Vanuatu local IT company and Alcatel-Lucent, the giant French telecommunications company to deploy Vanuatu’s first international submarine cable system linking Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, to Suva, Fiji.

Scheduled for completion in mid 2012, this new system will deliver faster, more efficient and cost-effective Internet connectivity to the pacific island nation, while removing the current dependence on satellite and strengthening Vanuatu’s competitive position as an e-business hub.
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Where Are We?

 

The Republic of Vanuatu is an archipelago nation located in the South Pacific Ocean, some 1,750 km east of Australia, 500 km north-east of New Caledonia, west of Fiji and south of the Solomon Islands. It was named New Hebrides during its colonial period.

The Republic of Vanuatu attained Independence in 1980 after some 74 years of joint rule by Britain and France.

French and English influence is still largely felt throughout the islands.

It is an archipelago of 83 islands, of which two — Matthew and Hunter — are also claimed by the French overseas department of New Caledonia. Of all the 83 islands, 14 have surface areas of more than 100 square kilometres, from largest to smallest: Espiritu Santo (3956 km), Malakula (2041 km), Éfaté (900 km), Erromango (888 km), Ambrym (678 km), Tanna (555 km), Pentecôte (491 km), Épi (445 km), Ambae or Aoba (402 km), Vanua Lava (334 km), Santa Maria (328 km), Maéwo (304 km), Malo (180 km) and Anatom or Aneityum (159 km).


Map of Vanuatu

 

There are regular flights from New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Australia, New Caledonia and Fiji. Vanuatu is only 2.5 hours flying time from Brisbane and 3.5 hours from Sydney, Australia. It's a little over 4 hours from Auckland, New Zealand.

Sydney connects easily with Asia and Europe while Auckland and Fiji connects with Asia, North and South America.

For information of how to get to Vanuatu, please check the website of Air Vanuatu for details of daily flights to Australia, New Caledonia and flights to New Zealand and Fiji.

Other airlines servicing this sector are Qantas, Air New Zealand, Air Caledonie International of New Caledonia Air Pacific of Fiji, Solomon Airlines and Pacific Blue Airlines

As you can see, it is not easy to get lost.

Vanuatu is in an enviable position of being an 'offshore' world away but still easily accessible when the urge for ‘civilization’ need some fixing.

Most of the islands are mountainous and of volcanic origin, and have a tropical or sub-tropical climate. The nation's largest towns are the capital Port-Vila, which is situated on Efate, and Luganville, on Espiritu Santo, the biggest island in the Vanuatu group.

Vanuatu - An Offshore World Away